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Thursday, December 17, 2015 - December 23, 2015
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COMPLIMENTARY COPY VOLUME 19, NO. 51
Santa Anita Horse Racing 79th Winter Meet Starts Dec. 26
And Away They Go: The Horses at Santa Anita are getting ready for the autumn meeting with some of the best jockeys in the world - riding some of the top Thoroughbreds in racing history!
BY TERRY MILLER It is cold December and that means two big things are happening locally: The Rose Parade and Santa Anita’s Winter Meet. Triple Crown champion Victor Espinoza and all-time Breeders’ Cup leader Mike
Smith will again be center stage when Santa Anita Park opens for its 79th Winter Meeting on Saturday, Dec. 26. The Great Race Place will open with a bang, as it will present four graded stakes, highlighted by a pair of Grade I stakes - the Malibu and La Brea, the day after Christmas.
In addition to Espinoza and Smith, Hall of Famers Gary Stevens, Kent Desormeaux, and Alex Solis will again be full-time members of Santa Anita’s exclusive jockey colony. Additionally, Peruvian sensation Rafael Bejarano, who notched his 24th Southern California riding title at
the recently concluded Bing Crosby Meet at Del Mar, will be seeking his seventh Winter Meet title and will compete on a daily basis alongside other top riders such as Joe Talamo, Martin Garcia, Corey Nakatani, Tyler Baze, Martin Pedroza, Mario Gutierrez, Flavien Prat, Santiago Gonzalez, James Graham,
Drayden Van Dyke, and others. Espinoza, 43, followed up his Triple Crown run with the Bob Baffert-trained American Pharoah by guiding the son of Pioneer of the Nile to a sensational win in his career finale - the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Oct. 31. Pharoah provided
– Photo by Terry Miller
Espinoza with his third career win in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, fueling media exposure that far transcended the confines of American racing. Proclaiming himself “The luckiest Mexican on Earth,” following his Derby win on SEE PAGE 21
Fiesta Parade Floats: Transformations of Ideas to Award-Winning Floats BY J. SHADÉ QUINTANILLA PHOTOS BY TERRY MILLER
On New Year’s Day, thousands of excited spectators will line up early morning in Pasadena and TV viewers will tune in to catch one of the most anticipated events of the year--the Tournament of Roses Parade. With 44 floats sponsored by sports teams, California cities,
and medical organizations, the Rose Parade will be an unforgettable spectacle for thousands around the world. This year, one of the leading float building companies--Fiesta Parade Floats-- will have 11 of their floats featured. From a float SEE PAGE 14